Question
My baby is on nevirapine and I’m breastfeeding, is my baby positive?
19 August 2016. Related: All topics, Pregnancy.
Answer
Firstly, congratulations on having your baby.
It is normal for your baby to be given a short course (4 weeks) of HIV treatment (such as nevirapine) when born. This doesn’t mean your baby is HIV positive. This will be checked later through testing. A different type of testing is also used on babies as the normal antibody test used in adults will show the baby as positive.
Our guide on pregnancy has lots more information
https://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
In the UK, the BHIVA (British HIV Association) guidelines recommend bottle feeding.
This is because in countries where mothers can have access to to formula milk AND clean water AND bottle sterilising equipment, the risk of transmitting HIV to the baby through bottle feeding is zero. There are different recommendations for other countries though and many women breastfeed. I am not sure about the recommendations in Zambia.
This means that you are doing the best that you can to protect your baby.
However, being positive and looking after a new born baby can be hard and many people need help. Do you have much support around you to help or are you touch with good care from your doctor?
Hi, congratulations on having a baby. Are you breastfeeding or formula feeding? NVP can be stopped anytime from 6 weeks depending on the risk to the baby. If you are breastfeeding but taking medication and have an undetectable viral load there would be no need for baby to continue with NVP. This is also true if they are being formula fed.
Hey,my baby is now 6wks and has been on nvp,so i want to know how long does she need to take this medication because at the clinic they didn’t give her another syrup of nvp.Im confused because i dont whether she has to get another one or she is done with nvp for now.
Hi Mom, thanks. So long as you are only giving your baby milk, it should be okay to use formula when you need to do this. You can still use breast milk too.
For many years women were advised to not mix bottle and breastfeeding. This is different in 2022, especailly when the Mom is on treatment an viral load is undetectable.
Congratulations on your new baby too – this must be an exciting time.
Hi I would like to no is it ok to mix feed my son he is 6 weeks now and is on the nevirapine he is always crying it’s like he is not getting enough from my breast…
I want to no can I give him one formula bottle a day ( I feel helpless when he cries)
Hi Sandra, pls tell your Mom that your baby should not have anything other than milk for the first six months. Whether this is breastmilk or bottle milk. Gripe water is not recommended. I don’t know what druppels are but this is not needed either. This will not affect the risk of HIV to your baby, but ut us about his general health.
My baby is 5weeks now tested negative at birth and has been on treatment. my viral load is undetectable. my mom have been giving my son gripe water and druppels.. im worried about my baby’s status – is he going to be infected?
Hi Linah, the ilvitrim is a dual antibiotic to protect your baby from other infections. Missing this will not affect the risk of HIV, but it is important to contact your doctor about. Please tell the doctor or pharmacist if you need help to pay for this. It might eb available free.
My child she’s on ilvitrim suspension and am breastfeeding her so now pills are finished and i don’t have money to buy as urgent, will my child get infected?
Hi Zowie, without knowing the names of the other meds, it is difficult to give a specific answer. Ig the doctor knew about the nevirapine they this should be fine. Continuing the nevirapine now will be fine. You coudl also ask your HIV doctor (if this is a different person) or a pharmacist about any interactions. The nevirapine will still be protecting your baby for the six weeks.
Hi, my baby is on Nvp for 6 weeks he has a pains in stomach he cant sleep he cries when the pain strikes. i took him to the doctor he gave him injection and some stomach cramps medication. Question is, is it safe for my baby to take other medicine wont that increase risk of baby being infected?